SCA, a global hygiene and paper company, celebrated its 10-year anniversary in North America by announcing its fifth round of Environmental Education Grants for schools.

This year, SCA will award a total of $25,000 to schools in the four regions where it has tissue operations, including Alabama, Arizona, New York, and Wisconsin. The company has given nearly $120,000 in funding to 56 schools nationwide since the grant program’s inception in 2007.

“When we started up our North American operations in 2001, it was very important to us to extend SCA’s long global history of environmental stewardship into our communities,” says Don Lewis, president of SCA Tissue North America.

“SCA is proud to support environmental education initiatives that reflect our strong commitment to sustainability,” Lewis says. “It’s very meaningful to help teachers and local schools inspire students who are a part of the next generation.”

Sustainability is important to SCA and the company strives to inspire others to also focus on environmental responsibility through community partnerships and programs, as well as its Environmental Education Grants.

Elementary, middle, and high schools in the four regions where SCA Tissue has office and plant operations—Barton, Alabama; Flagstaff and Bellemont, Arizona; South Glens Falls and Greenwich, New York; and Neenah and Menasha, Wisconsin—are invited to apply for grants up to $2,500.

Projects must have an environmental or sustainability focus. Applications are due Friday, July 29, 2011. The application form is available for downloading at http://torkusa.com/grant. Winners will be announced on America Recycles Day, Nov. 15, 2011.